Burlington Township High School prides itself on its relationship with all of its stakeholders.Parents, students, and community members are actively involved in the development and evaluation of programs, academic offerings, and services.The mission and graduate profile were collaboratively developed by many members of the school community, all of whom had an opportunity to share in the decision making process.They are also aligned with the district’s mission and beliefs. This collaborative process has created a positive school culture, which promotes and has the potential to sustain high standards and expectations for everyone. This culture will be instrumental in achieving the school’s mission and producing students who meet the demands of the 21st century. The following steps have been taken by the high school to ensure that we remain focused on our mission and develop programs for our students that best prepare them for their post-secondary plans: ·In September of 2008, an EBD Planning Committee was established at the high school, consisting of building administrators, central office personnel, teachers, students and community members.The high school staff was divided into 12 sub-committees, with one sub-committee for each standard. Members of the overall Planning Committee also participated on these sub-committees and in most instances, acted in the role of subcommittee chairperson.The sub-committees met regularly throughout the 2008-2009 school year to conduct a self-study and develop action plans to address areas of concerns that were identified by the internal and external scans.The action plans from each sub-committee were submitted to the high school administrative team in September 2009, who used them as the basis for the development of the EBD goals and objectives.
·In April, 2009 the Superintendent held a convocation involving members of the BOE, district administrators and supervisors, and K-12 teachers and support staff to discuss and document progress made towards achieving 2008-2009 district and school goals.The group also began to identify potential areas in need of development that needed to be addressed in the upcoming school year.
·In June 2009, the Superintendent facilitated a retreat, with members of the Board of Education, to report the progress made towards the 2008-2009 district and school goals, and to identify areas in need of development to be addressed in the upcoming school year.These areas were infused into District goals for the 2009-2010 school year.
·In July 2009, the Superintendent conducted a three-day retreat for all K-12 supervisors and administrators.The 09-10 district goals were presented and building level administrative teams began to develop school goals for the upcoming school year.Each school submits final goals and action plans to the Superintendent by September 15, 2009.
·On the opening day of school in September 2009, the Superintendent held an opening ceremony for all staff in the district, community members, BOE members, and local dignitaries.The schools were closed so every employee, from the central office to transportation and food services, was able to attend.The Superintendent shared the mission and vision of the school and highlighted the district goals for the school year.The high school staff met later in the day and reviewed the mission, beliefs, profile of the graduate, and building goals for the high school.
External Factors and Their Impact on Our Mission The following are examples of external factors facing Burlington Township High School that will have short and long-term impact on our ability to achieve our Mission and produce the outcomes expressed in the Profile of Graduates:
Technology
Children today are growing up in a fascinating time. The explosion of technology and its impact on society have a profound affect on what is expected in schools. Employees seek graduates who are technologically savvy, while we keep up with the changes in what’s current. This is cost prohibitive for most school districts. Extensive staff development is also necessary in order to keep the staff current and relevant to what our students know is the latest in technology. We must also find ways to incorporate technology into every subject. This brings us to budget questions.
Budgets and Negotiations The task of updating technology and maintaining our facility is daunting. We have been very successful in obtaining private funding, as well as grants, to offset some of the costs; however, State and federal accountability regulations create some obstacles. We are currently in the last year of our teacher contract and the impact the negotiations process will have on our mission is unknown.We recognize that we need to offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract the highest quality staff, but we must also remain sensitive to the financial burdens on our community during these difficult economic times.Traditionally, our community has supported the school budget; however, last year’s failed budget sent a clear message that everyone is working with less.
Federal & State Mandates
Mandates from the State and Federal governments often force us to redirect our resources and energies to areas not directly related to our Mission and Beliefs.We are judged by our NJASK and HSPA scores, which don’t always tell the complete story of the progress a student has made since entering our district.With the new End of Year assessments from the State in math, we have had to revamp our curriculum to best prepare our students for the new assessment. Our program was designed to prepare for the HSPA, a cumulative exam, as well as what is ahead in college. When the State changes its plans, we must follow suit. This is also true for No Child Left Behind. When the Federal government, through NCLB, makes changes to what we do, we must acquiesce.Communication regarding these changes does not always coincide with the planning cycles in school calendars.
In the volatile world we live, all contingencies cannot be anticipated. We must remain vigilant in our quest to provide what’s best for our students and maintain communication with all parties that affect our processes, so that we can proactively adjust to what best serves the community and our district.
Burlington Township High School
Profile of Organizational Capacity
Burlington Township High School prides itself on its relationship with all of its stakeholders. Parents, students, and community members are actively involved in the development and evaluation of programs, academic offerings, and services. The mission and graduate profile were collaboratively developed by many members of the school community, all of whom had an opportunity to share in the decision making process. They are also aligned with the district’s mission and beliefs. This collaborative process has created a positive school culture, which promotes and has the potential to sustain high standards and expectations for everyone. This culture will be instrumental in achieving the school’s mission and producing students who meet the demands of the 21st century.
The following steps have been taken by the high school to ensure that we remain focused on our mission and develop programs for our students that best prepare them for their post-secondary plans:
· In September of 2008, an EBD Planning Committee was established at the high school, consisting of building administrators, central office personnel, teachers, students and community members. The high school staff was divided into 12 sub-committees, with one sub-committee for each standard. Members of the overall Planning Committee also participated on these sub-committees and in most instances, acted in the role of subcommittee chairperson. The sub-committees met regularly throughout the 2008-2009 school year to conduct a self-study and develop action plans to address areas of concerns that were identified by the internal and external scans. The action plans from each sub-committee were submitted to the high school administrative team in September 2009, who used them as the basis for the development of the EBD goals and objectives.
· In April, 2009 the Superintendent held a convocation involving members of the BOE, district administrators and supervisors, and K-12 teachers and support staff to discuss and document progress made towards achieving 2008-2009 district and school goals. The group also began to identify potential areas in need of development that needed to be addressed in the upcoming school year.
· In June 2009, the Superintendent facilitated a retreat, with members of the Board of Education, to report the progress made towards the 2008-2009 district and school goals, and to identify areas in need of development to be addressed in the upcoming school year. These areas were infused into District goals for the 2009-2010 school year.
· In July 2009, the Superintendent conducted a three-day retreat for all K-12 supervisors and administrators. The 09-10 district goals were presented and building level administrative teams began to develop school goals for the upcoming school year. Each school submits final goals and action plans to the Superintendent by September 15, 2009.
· On the opening day of school in September 2009, the Superintendent held an opening ceremony for all staff in the district, community members, BOE members, and local dignitaries. The schools were closed so every employee, from the central office to transportation and food services, was able to attend. The Superintendent shared the mission and vision of the school and highlighted the district goals for the school year. The high school staff met later in the day and reviewed the mission, beliefs, profile of the graduate, and building goals for the high school.
External Factors and Their Impact on Our Mission
The following are examples of external factors facing Burlington Township High School that will have short and long-term impact on our ability to achieve our Mission and produce the outcomes expressed in the Profile of Graduates:
Technology
Children today are growing up in a fascinating time. The explosion of technology and its impact on society have a profound affect on what is expected in schools. Employees seek graduates who are technologically savvy, while we keep up with the changes in what’s current. This is cost prohibitive for most school districts. Extensive staff development is also necessary in order to keep the staff current and relevant to what our students know is the latest in technology. We must also find ways to incorporate technology into every subject. This brings us to budget questions.
Budgets and Negotiations
The task of updating technology and maintaining our facility is daunting. We have been very successful in obtaining private funding, as well as grants, to offset some of the costs; however, State and federal accountability regulations create some obstacles. We are currently in the last year of our teacher contract and the impact the negotiations process will have on our mission is unknown. We recognize that we need to offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract the highest quality staff, but we must also remain sensitive to the financial burdens on our community during these difficult economic times. Traditionally, our community has supported the school budget; however, last year’s failed budget sent a clear message that everyone is working with less.
Federal & State Mandates
Mandates from the State and Federal governments often force us to redirect our resources and energies to areas not directly related to our Mission and Beliefs. We are judged by our NJASK and HSPA scores, which don’t always tell the complete story of the progress a student has made since entering our district. With the new End of Year assessments from the State in math, we have had to revamp our curriculum to best prepare our students for the new assessment. Our program was designed to prepare for the HSPA, a cumulative exam, as well as what is ahead in college. When the State changes its plans, we must follow suit. This is also true for No Child Left Behind. When the Federal government, through NCLB, makes changes to what we do, we must acquiesce. Communication regarding these changes does not always coincide with the planning cycles in school calendars.In the volatile world we live, all contingencies cannot be anticipated. We must remain vigilant in our quest to provide what’s best for our students and maintain communication with all parties that affect our processes, so that we can proactively adjust to what best serves the community and our district.